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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Scott Shoyer: WTF?

Scott Shoyer released a debut zombie series that really impressed me...and then he let me down BIG TIME with the second book in the series. The Hunger left me wanting more, but the sequel left me questioning Shoyer's writing style swtich-up.

The Mutation simply didn't measure up to the first book.

The Hunger had a more intimate setting, focused on the zoo with fewer characters. The Mutation has far more characters forming three storylines with the various groups constantly on the move. There are numerous new details revealed, and, with so many sudden developments taking place in one book, the writing style seemed noisy - it was difficult to settle into reading mode.

I kept putting The Mutation down after each chapter, so it took me WEEKS to finish, which is extremely rare for me. The second book has a lot of twists, but somehow lacks the suspense of The Hunger.

Despite my criticism, there are a couple of good reasons to keep reading this series:

1) The characters are unique to the zombie genre. Shoyer introduces a group of recovering addicts to the mix, and their perspective on the infection proves that Shoyer does not slack off when it comes to research.

2) There is a science fiction element to this series, and Shoyer takes it to an entirely new level in The Mutation. The ending has me waiting anxiously for book three. I have no idea how the survivors are going to live through the Extinction Level Event that Shoyer has created.

With the addition of the new characters, I would love to see Shoyer return to a more intimate view of the characters, particularly the soldiers such as Wilder. Keeping my fingers crossed...

About Me

I am a Top Reviewer and Vine Voice at Amazon. I used to write for Zombiephiles.com: reviews & interviews. I am working on my own blog, so I can review more genres (fiction & nonfiction) and discuss some of my other interests.

I wrote one short horror story, one short fantasy story & I'm working on an anthology, as well as several other projects, but I prefer to stay behind the scenes. My goal is to introduce readers to as many talented authors as possible. :)